Poor Storage Research Articles

Highly sensitive formaldehyde detection using biomass hydrogel with core-shell structure

The indoor formaldehyde concentration is in trace quantities; however, it considerably deteriorates indoor air quality and poses a serious threat to human health and ecosystems. Since current formaldehyde analyzers are only suitable for high-concentration detection or are expensive, there is a pressing need for an easy-to-use, storable, and highly sensitive formaldehyde detector. In this study, we developed a colorimetric sensing sphere using affordable and eco-friendly sodium alginate as a porous matrix. Polyethyleneimine, a molecule rich in amino groups, and an indicator are embedded in the matrix to create a core-shell structured, responsive porous hydrogel colorimetric sensor for indoor formaldehyde detection. The sensing sphere exhibits high sensitivity and excellent detection limits at a polyethyleneimine to pH agent mass ratio of 23:1, reaching a sensitivity of 0.02 mg/m3 and a detection limit of 0.06 mg/m3. The sensing sphere demonstrates superior selectivity among common indoor pollutants and remains unaffected by temperature (up to 70 ℃) or humidity (20–80 %) changes. Moreover, the core-shell structure of the colorimetric sensor ball addresses the poor stability and storage issues. The core-shell structure resists interference from external environmental changes, offering remarkable stability for 6 months and longer, hence, facilitating easy transportation and storage. The colorimetric sensing sphere is simple, cost-effective, and reliable for ordinary households, thus maintaining the indoor air quality and health of residents.

Addressing food and medication quality control challenges in Nigeria: Insights and recommendations

Nigeria faces significant challenges in ensuring the quality control of both food and medication, which directly impact public health and safety. This review provides insights into the prevailing issues and offers recommendations to address these pressing concerns. Firstly, regarding food quality control, Nigeria grapples with issues such as contamination, adulteration, and inadequate monitoring along the supply chain. These problems lead to widespread instances of foodborne illnesses and undermine consumer confidence. Furthermore, the lack of standardized protocols and enforcement mechanisms exacerbates the situation, allowing substandard products to proliferate in the market. Similarly, the medication quality control landscape in Nigeria is riddled with challenges including counterfeit drugs, poor storage conditions, and insufficient regulatory oversight. Counterfeit medications not only fail to treat illnesses effectively but also contribute to antimicrobial resistance, posing a grave threat to public health. Moreover, the absence of robust pharmacovigilance systems hampers the detection and reporting of adverse drug reactions, further compromising patient safety. To address these multifaceted challenges, a comprehensive approach is imperative. Recommendations include strengthening regulatory frameworks, enhancing surveillance systems, investing in laboratory infrastructure, and fostering collaboration between government agencies, industry stakeholders, and international partners. Additionally, public awareness campaigns and education initiatives are vital to empower consumers with knowledge about safe food and medication practices. In conclusion, tackling food and medication quality control challenges in Nigeria demands concerted efforts from various stakeholders. By implementing the proposed recommendations, Nigeria can safeguard public health, mitigate economic losses, and foster sustainable development.

Isolation and Phenotypic Identification of Mycotoxigenic Fungi from Stored Maize Kernels within Dutsin–Ma Metropolis, Katsina State

One of the most important effects of post-harvest decay or seed deterioration by fungi is the production of mycotoxins. Mycotoxicosis is a disease of animals and humans following consumption of feeds and foods contaminated by fungi that produce toxic substances called mycotoxins. The study investigated the cultural morphology, microscopic identification, pathogenicity, and mycotoxin production of fungal isolates from 25 stored maize samples collected. Standard microbiological techniques were employed for the analysis of all the samples, Cultural morphology on Potatoes Dextrose Agar revealed diverse colony characteristics, ranging from olive and dark green hues with smooth or spongy surfaces to brownish-pink and dull yellow-green colonies. Microscopic analysis identified six different fungal species, with Aspergillus spp being the most prevalent (72%) and Mucor spp as the least prevalent (6%). Pathogenicity tests on fresh maize demonstrated that all the isolates were pathogenic, causing observable growth on the maize samples. Furthermore, mycotoxin production by the fungal was revealed by evidence of fluorescence under UV radiation, indicating the potential production of aflatoxins. Stored maize kernels from the study area were at risk of fungal attack due to poor storage facilities, poor handling practices and inadequate drying of the grains, which enabled the fungi to grow and produce mycotoxins. Therefore, farmers should be sensitized on the possible risk of fungal attack on grains and be educated on timely harvest, hygienic drying and storage practices of grains.

Physiological, Biochemical, and Ultrastructural Changes in Naturally Aged Sweet Corn Seeds

Due to low starch content and poor seed vigor, sweet corn seeds exhibit poor storage stability. Therefore, understanding the physiological and biochemical changes in seeds after natural aging is crucial for assessing seed status and extending the storage period. This study aims to investigate the physiological, biochemical, and ultrastructural changes in aged seeds of different genotypes. An eight-month natural aging experiment was conducted on 10 sweet corn inbred lines. The results showed an obvious decrease in germination potential, germination ratio, germination index, and vigor index after natural aging, and two inbred lines with stronger tolerance to natural aging were identified from the 10 inbred lines studied. In aged seeds, levels of gibberellin, abscisic acid, total protein, total starch, as well as activities of antioxidant enzymes, lipoxygenase, and amylase, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content, exhibited significant differences among inbred lines. Correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation among four seed vigor indices and a highly negative correlation between seed vigor indices and MDA content. Germination ratio, germination index, and vigor index displayed a highly negative correlation with lipoxygenase activity. Furthermore, starch granule decomposition was observed in the endosperm of low-vigor inbred lines, contrary to amylase activity. Thus, this study indicates variations in seed vigor, biochemical indicators, and the ultrastructure of aged sweet corn seeds among different genotypes. Both lower lipoxygenase activity and reduced MDA accumulation contribute to seed resistance to aging.

Preparation of manganese/nitrogen-sulfur carbon electrodes from black liquor of bamboo pulp for supercapacitors

Biomass-derived porous carbons from low-cost lignin are the promising candidate electrode for aqueous supercapacitors. Notably, the poor charge storage ability severely hinders the industrial production. The sodium lignosulphonate was firstly prepared by methylsulfonation with formaldehyde (HCHO) and sodium sulfite (Na2SO3). Then, lignin-based N-S co-doped porous carbon materials (LNSC) were prepared via one-step carbonization with sodium lignosulphonate as raw material and urea as a nitrogen source dopant and mild activator. And, MnCO3 nanowires were prepared and loaded on LNSC to fabricate manganese/nitrogen-sulfur carbon composites (LNSC/Mn-x) with high electrochemical performance. The prepared LNSC/Mn-40 was dominated by micro-mesopores with a total pore volume of 1.01 cm3 g−1 and a specific surface area of up to 770.68 m2 g−1. In a three-electrode system, LNSC/Mn-40 showed a specific capacitance of 234.92 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 in 6 M KOH electrolyte, greatly better than LNSC (151.98 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1), while the symmetric supercapacitor demonstrated a maximum energy density of 7.21 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 5765 W kg−1 along with good cycling stability of 69.77 % capacitance retention for up to 10,000 cycles. The results suggested that lignin can be considered as an ideal candidate for porous carbon electrode for supercapacitors and reduce industrial production cost.

Assessment of knowledge, and practices of urban women towards folic acid fortified maize meal in Zimbabwe

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are the second most common birth defects in humans and are associated with high rates of neonatal mortality, morbidity, disability, psychological and economic costs. Roughly 200,000 neonates are born with NTDs in low- and middle-income countries. To reduce the risks associated with NTDs, pregnant women are recommended to supplement their diets with folate tablets or to consume foods fortified with folic acid. Despite the introduction of a mandatory fortification program of maize meal with folic acid, in Zimbabwe, there is a paucity of literature about the perceptions of individuals towards fortified foods, as well as the storage and processing practices of fortified maize meal. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, as well as, storage and processing practices of folic acid-fortified maize meal in urban poor women. Data on knowledge and practices on fortified maize was gathered using a structured questionnaire from 630 women of childbearing age from low-income suburbs in Kwekwe town, Zimbabwe. The results showed that a paltry 26.3% of the respondents knew about folic acid, 22.5% knew about the effects of folic acid deficiency, 13.8% knew foodstuffs containing folic acid, 4% knew about food fortification and 35.6% had bought and used folic acid fortified maize meal before. Availability and accessibility were the main drivers to purchasing fortified maize meal (90%). There was no significant relationship (p < 0.05) between age and folic acid knowledge as well as between level of education and folic acid knowledge. Furthermore, the result indicates that the households were engaged in poor storage practices of the folic acid fortified maize meal. There was a significant relationship between the level of education and knowledge about food fortification. In conclusion, urban women's knowledge regarding folic acid and fortified maize meal is very low in Zimbabwe and households also store the folic acid fortified maize meal under conditions that speed deterioration of the folic acid. Folic acid awareness campaigns are recommended for people to benefit from the government of Zimbabwe's fortification programme. Key words: Neural tube defects, maize, folate, deficiency, fortification, women

Progress and challenges of latent thermal energy storage through external field-dependent heat transfer enhancement methods

The development of Energy Storage technologies is critical to achieving a cleaner energy future. As one of the most widely used energy storage technologies, Latent Thermal Energy Storage (LTES) still suffers from poor charging and discharging performance subjected to the low thermal conductivity of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) and inefficient heat transfer process. Heat transfer enhancement techniques, such as using fins and adding highly conductive materials, have been widely developed and optimized to overcome these challenges. Recently, additional novel methods integrating adjustable external fields such as gravity, magnetic field, and electric field have been proposed to enhance the heat transfer performance of LTES, due to their advantages including easy adjustment of the field parameters according to the evolution of the heat storage process. Firstly, this work briefly summarizes the progress of conventional heat transfer enhancement methods. Secondly, the advancement of heat transfer enhancement by integrating adjustable external field effects has been analyzed and discussed. Finally, the potential of external fields to improve the heat storage performance of LTES under fluctuating thermal sources is discussed considering the wide existence of fluctuating energy supply and load in real applications. The main contributions from this review are: (a) The emerging heat transfer enhancement methods for LTES are comprehensively summarized and discussed for the first time; (b) The potential of different heat transfer enhancement techniques is demonstrated to overcome the poor heat storage performance under fluctuating thermal sources when considering real applications of LTES.

A review of polymer-modified asphalt binder: Modification mechanisms and mechanical properties

The significant increase in the number of vehicles, traffic speed, and load has significantly reduced the lifespan of pavements and increased maintenance costs. Therefore, the incorporation of polymers into bituminous binders is imperative to enhance pavement quality and performance. Nowadays, polymer-modified asphalt binders (PMBs) play a crucial role in pavement engineering. This polymer absorbs asphalt molecules to form a network connecting the entire binder, giving it better viscoelasticity than the base asphalt. Although polymers do enhance the properties of asphalt to some extent, there are still certain limitations hindering the future development of polymer-modified asphalt, such as high costs, low resistance to aging, and poor storage stability. Additionally, there is limited literature available that reviews the advantages and disadvantages of various polymer modifiers. The aim of this paper is to conduct a systematic review that evaluates the benefits and drawbacks of different polymer types in modifying asphalt materials. This comprehensive synthesis study thoroughly examines the historical evolution of polymer modified binders (PMBs) for asphalt pavement, including selection criteria for polymers used in asphalt modification, current state-of-the-art knowledge regarding the internal structure and morphology of PMBs, evaluation methodologies for PMB properties, binder specifications specific to PMBs, recommendations based on findings, and future research. This review will not only merit research from an academic perspective, but also provide guidance for pavement engineering.

Quality Risk Assessment of Prefabricated Steel Structural Components during Production Using Fuzzy Bayesian Networks

This study aims to address quality issues in the production of prefabricated steel structural components for buildings by investigating challenges in quality risk assessment. It identifies key factors contributing to quality problems and establishes an evaluation index system. Traditional methods encounter limitations in handling uncertainty and conducting quantitative analysis. Therefore, the fuzzy Bayesian network (FBN) theory is utilized to perform a probabilistic analysis of quality risks during the production phase. This research achieves a more accurate and dynamic risk assessment by integrating the strengths of fuzzy logic and Bayesian networks (BNs) and by utilizing expert knowledge, the similarity aggregation method (SAM), and the noisy-OR gate model. The study reveals that factors such as the “low professional level of designers”, “poor production refinement”, and “poor storage conditions for finished products” have a significant impact on quality risks. This study offers a scientific risk assessment tool designed to address the quality control challenges commonly experienced in the manufacturing of steel structural components. Identifying the critical risk factors that influence quality empowers actual production enterprises to develop risk management strategies and improvement measures in a more focused manner, thereby facilitating more effective resource allocation and risk prevention and control. Consequently, this approach has a significant impact on enhancing the overall production level and quality within the industry.

Porous silicon and silica carriers for delivery of peptide therapeutics.

Peptides have gained tremendous popularity as biological therapeutic agents in recent years due to their favourable specificity, diversity of targets, well-established screening methods, ease of production, and lower cost. However, their poor physiological and storage stability, pharmacokinetics, and fast clearance have limited their clinical translation. Novel nanocarrier-based strategies have shown promise in overcoming these issues. In this direction, porous silicon (pSi) and mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have been widely explored as potential carriers for the delivery of peptide therapeutics. These materials possess several advantages, including large surface areas, tunable pore sizes, and adjustable pore architectures, which make them attractive carriers for peptide delivery systems. In this review, we cover pSi and MSNs as drug carriers focusing on their use in peptide delivery. The review provides a brief overview of their fabrication, surface modification, and interesting properties that make them ideal peptide drug carriers. The review provides a systematic account of various studies that have utilised these unique porous carriers for peptide delivery describing significant in vitro and in vivo results. We have also provided a critical comparison of the two carriers in terms of their physicochemical properties and short-term and long-term biocompatibility. Lastly, we have concluded the review with our opinion of this field and identified key areas for future research for clinical translation of pSi and MSN-based peptide therapeutic formulations.

Effects of environmental factors and storage periods on sesame seed quality and longevity

AbstractSesame is one of the world’s oldest oil seed crops grown mainly for its seeds. Lengthened storage time, inappropriate staking, back warded threshing method and poor storage facilities are major causes for postharvest and quality losses of sesame seed. Therefore, the objective was to review the effect of storage time and storage conditions on sesame seed quality and longevity. Seed quality and longevity are mostly governed by moisture content, temperature, humidity, storage period, pre-storage conditions, and pest infestations. Moisture content is a pre-requisite for long-term seed storage, and is the most important factor affecting seed longevity. Sesame seeds remain consistent and viable up to 12 months under appropriate storage facilities and conditions, otherwise it get lessened its viability. The crop should be harvested at the appropriate time and seeds should be stored at 6% or lower moisture content. In the tropics where temperature is as high as 33 °C and relative humidity of about 80%, seeds deteriorate rapidly. Varietal mixtures and harvest conditions affect longevity of seeds in storage. Pests such as, Mites, Indian mealy moth, Weevils, Flour beetles, are serious problems in stored sesame seeds. Under low seed moisture content and temperature, insects may not be a problem. Oil seeds require high-quality constructions to prevent leakages and to allow easy access to the bin for sampling and monitoring. Therefore, sesame seeds should be stored in well-constructed room/ware house to maintain seed viability and longevity.

Numerical simulation study on enhanced efficiency of carbon dioxide geological storage with nanoparticles in deep saline aquifer

Geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) is a promising technique to reduce large-scale greenhouse gas emissions. There are some candidates for geological storage formation while deep saline aquifers have attracted tremendous attention because they have the largest potential of all possible subsurface storage sites. CO2 injected into deep saline aquifers migrates upward until it reaches a sealing formation due to its buoyancy effect, which causes poor storage efficiency. Over the past few years, some novel research has been published to utilize nanoparticles for CO2 geological storage. The addition of nanoparticles to injecting super-critical CO2 (scCO2) changes its physical properties, such as the density and viscosity, which could mitigate gravity segregation and viscous fingering. However, the studies related to these techniques are still extremely limited, and the potential advantages or their impacts are poorly understood. In this paper, we investigated the effects of the physical properties of scCO2 containing nanoparticles on storage efficiency by using a versatile commercial simulator (CMG-GEM). In particular, the effects of nanoparticle types (aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, titanium oxide, and zinc oxide) and concentration on CO2 storage efficiency were presented quantitatively by considering possible operation scenarios. The results showed the migration of CO2 to the upper part of the aquifer was suppressed, and the storage of CO2 in the lower part of the aquifer was promoted when scCO2 was injected with nanoparticles. It also showed some effects in delaying breakthrough time and mitigating breakthrough amount when we assumed the pressure control well. It was indicated that the cumulative breakthrough amount after 30 years was reduced by 8.2% in the minimum case and by 79.3% in the maximum case. Although the proposed method still has economic challenges, the innovation in the production processes of nanoparticles or combining with added value will lead to improving feasibility.

Assessment of veterinary pharmaceutical warehouse management practices and its associated challenges in four selected zones and Bahir Dar city of Amhara regional state, Ethiopia.

A pharmaceutical warehouse is part of the pharmaceutical supply chain and is essential to maintaining the quality and efficacy of veterinary pharmaceuticals for successful animal health service delivery. However, poor storage conditions, improper handling, and inappropriate use and disposal constitute challenges for veterinary supplies in animal health services. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the existing practices and challenges in warehouse management in government veterinary clinics and private veterinary drug wholesalers in Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 37 veterinary health facilities in four selected zones (south Gondar, west Gondar, central Gondar, and west Gojam zones) and Bahir Dar administrative city. Zones were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire, pre-defined and tested observational checklists, and semi-structured interview guides. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data, while qualitative data was analyzed using a thematic approach. The study revealed the presence of poor stock management practices, such as the absence of standard operating procedures for warehouse activities in ~59.5% of facilities surveyed. In none of the surveyed facilities, bin cards and system software utilization were satisfactory. The absence of disposal guidelines was detected in 83.8% of the facilities, and the practice of timely disposal of expired drugs was not satisfactory. Compared to the government veterinary clinics, private veterinary drug wholesalers had better storage practices (86.25%) following theoretical recommendations. The storage conditions in government clinics were rated poor at 48.3% (>80%, which is the limit to the acceptable rate for good storage conditions). The challenges of inadequate infrastructure, a lack of qualified staff, problems with the availability and affordability of pharmaceutical products, insufficient regulatory practice, and budget constraints were identified. A holistic approach involving related stakeholders should be followed to improve the existing challenges and the sector's efficiency.

A Novel Approach of Cloud Computing Network for Authentication and Security Enhancement of IoT Enabled Cancer Forecasting System

Recently, a variety of approaches have been employed to address a broad spectrum of real-world issues; these methodology cover a variety of areas, including healthcare systems. Previous researchers concentrated on health-care monitoring software. It had several shortcomings, such as poor health-care data storage, time, expense, and processing complexity. This paper proposes a unique IoT-enabled and secured clinical monitoring paradigm to address these issues. Initially, implant several sensors to gather information on vital indicators like body temperature fluctuation. Phone numbers, marital status, heart rate deviation, residence, name, age, and blood pressure are among the patient's health information. The IoT medical sensor dataset is used in this investigation. During pre-processing, extra unnecessary attributes are removed, resulting in data size reduction and normalization. A convolutional neural network supporting the classification of cancer sickness that is based on the improved teaching-learning optimization (CNN-ITLO) method. The CNN-ITLO model ascertains whether or not the patient is cancer-prone based on the sensor input. The management of the hospital receives the gathered data after which it is analyzed. Lastly, the homomorphic encryption approach is used to encrypt and store the patient's data on the cloud. The Java platform will be used to carry out the recommended work. According to the experiment results, the suggested method performed better than current cutting-edge practices.

Investigation on storage stability, H2S emission and rheological properties of modified asphalt with different pretreated waste rubber powder

The use of waste rubber powder (WRP) to produce WRP modified asphalt (WRMA) has been proved to have wide application prospects, however, WRMA has poor storage stability and is prone to release H2S and other toxic fumes. Therefore, the one-step method to ameliorate these two problems through pretreating WRP was proposed, and the microwave activation, waste cooking oil (WCO) swelling and acid or alkali solution soaking were applied to pretreat WRP in this study, respectively. The scanning electron microscope and infrared spectroscopy were selected to analyze the microstructures and functional groups of different pretreated WRP. The fluorescence microscopy and hot tube test were employed to evaluate the compatibility of pretreated WRP with asphalt. The H2S gas detector and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were introduced to research the flue gas emissions of pretreated WRP and prepared WRMA. The experimental results show that the microstructure and functional groups of the pretreated WRP are greatly changed and its surface activity is increased. The storage stability of WRMA prepared with pretreated WRP is obviously improved, and the optimized result is obtained with the microwave/WCO composite treatment, with a segregation index reduction of 40.91%. Also, the pretreatment of WRP does reduce H2S and flue gas emissions. The cumulative H2S concentration reduction of WRP after NaOH solution soaked reaches 32.14% at 30 min, and the total flue gas concentration reduction of the prepared WRMA reaches 21.54%. The results could offer guidance for the clean utilization of WRP, the efficient storage of WRMA and the effective suppression of its flue gas.

Novel NaNbO3-based relaxors featuring ultrahigh energy storage performance

Ferroelectric ceramics with ultrahigh power density and fast charging/discharging are attracting increasing attention. The practical application of most antiferroelectric ceramics in current electronics is significantly limited by their poor recoverable energy storage density. Here, a novel system ceramic of (1-x) Na0.84Ca0.16Nb0.84Ti0.16O3-xBiZn2/3Nb1/3O3 (NCNT-xBZN) solid solutions, possessing a giant Wrec∼7.05 J cm−3 and excellent conversion efficiency (η)∼83.7% under 53 kV mm−1, was synthesized to exhibit superior stability with changing temperature, frequency and fatigue behavior, together with the large current density (CD=571.8 A cm−2), ultrahigh power density (PD=85.7 MW cm−3) and ultrafast discharge rate (∼200 ns). These outstanding properties are attributed to the phase transformation from the AFE R to the FE Q phase, accompanied by the smashing of sub-microdomains into polar nanoregions, as the BZN content raises. The experimental results disclose that the synergistic effect of the highly dynamic response of polar nanoregions and the local lattice distortion arising from the disruption of long-range polar ordering by heterovalent ion filling generates a delayed saturation polarization with a strong relaxor behavior, thereby optimizing the energy storage density. The unique combination, together with a simple synthesis strategy, offers a refreshing strategy for the development of dielectric materials.

Lean Six Sigma to Reduce Dead Stock at PT Globalindo Intimates

PT Globalindo Intimates is a manufacturing company that produces underwear in the garment sector. In the long run, the accumulation of dead stock in the warehouse becomes an unused company asset, making inventory management ineffective and efficient. This study aims to identify and analyze the factors that cause dead stock materials and provide solutions as an improvement effort in minimizing dead stock in the future to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of PT Globalindo Intimates. The method used is Lean Six Sigma with the DMAIC approach model. The data collection technique is done by observation, interview, and documentation. The results of this study explain that the factors that cause dead stock materials are man, method, environment, and material factors, the causes of which include less careful human resources, lack of understanding related to material handling, less than optimal ordering practices, overstock, damaged / defective goods, poor material storage, and low demand. The improvement efforts that can be made to minimize the occurrence of dead stock in the future so that it is not sustainable include making regulations related to the management and handling of dead stock, managing the inventory management system more effectively, optimizing the application of 5S practices in the warehouse, and conducting training for employees

Effect of xanthan gum (XG) and carrageenan (CG) ratio on casein (CA)-XG-CG ternary complex: Used to improve the stability of liquid diabetes formula food for special medical purposes

Poor storage stability limits the application of liquid diabetes formula food for special medical purposes (L-D-FSMP) in maintaining blood sugar stability in diabetic patients. This work aims to improve the stability of L-D-FSMP by adjusting the ratio of xanthan gum (XG) and carrageenan (CG) in casein (CA)-XG-CG ternary complex. The centrifugal sedimentation rate results showed that the compound ratio of XG and CG had a greater impact on L-D-FSMP storage stability. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results showed that the combination of CA, XG and CG occurred. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results showed that CA, XG and CG were mainly combined through hydrogen bonds and ionic bonds to form a CA-XG-CG ternary complex. When the ratio of XG and CG was 1:1, the number of disulfide bonds was the largest. The results of three-phase contact angle and emulsifying ability confirmed that when the ratio of XG and CG was 1:1, CA-XG-CG had the strongest emulsifying ability. The particle size distribution and zeta-potential results showed that when the ratio of XG and CG was 1:1, L-D-FSMP had the narrowest particle size distribution range and the strongest stability. These results may provide valuable information for the production of stable L-D-FSMP.

Postharvest practices and loss determinants for interventions among smallholder potato farmers in Tiyo district, Arsi zone, Ethiopia

Postharvest loss reduction, which will contribute to several sustainable development goals (SDGs) including SDG 1, 2, 3, 9, 12 and 13, is an important strategy for food and nutrition security. It requires interventions designed based on timely and reliable statistical data. However, lack of produce-specific loss data and associated factors along the postharvest value chain stages remains a challenge to implement appropriate interventions. Therefore, a survey was conducted on socio-demographic characteristics, postharvest practices, extent and causes of losses, and factors influencing postharvest loss of potato crops in Tiyo district of Arsi Zone, Ethiopia in 2022. A multistage sampling method was used to select a total of 209 smallholder potato farming household heads through a combination of purposive and simple random sampling techniques. Quantitative data collection was carried out online using computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) by programming a semi-structured questionnaire in KoboCollect software for tablets. Descriptive statistics and ordinal probit regression model were used to analyze the collected data and determinant factors influencing postharvest loss of potatoes at various farm-level stages, respectively. An aggregate of 15-46% loss exists between harvesting and marketing. Losses during harvesting, sorting, cleaning, packaging, field-to-storage transport, storage, and storage-to-market transport were 58.9%, 6.2%, 2.9%, 2.4%, 3.8%, 20.1%, and 5.7%, respectively. Elevated loss during harvesting and storage in the area is likely to reflect poor handling and storage practices. The primary causes of losses were poor harvesting and handling techniques, poor storage facility, and insects and worms. Moreover, regression model estimations of categorical losses, as perceived by farmers, reveal that socio-demographic variables and postharvest factors influenced potato loss. During the harvest stage, working family members significantly (p<0.01) increased loss while years of schooling (p<0.05) significantly reduced loss. In addition, harvesting using leaf color change observation as a criterion had significantly (p<0.01) mitigated potato loss. In storage, female respondents (p<0.05), land size (p<0.05), and lack of training (p<0.1) had accentuated loss. During transport, the age of household reduced (p<0.1) loss whereas farming experience promoted (p<0.1) it. To reduce the existing losses, farmers’ awareness should be increased concerning each stage. The study recommends the need for stakeholders’ intervention focusing on postharvest knowledge and skill capacity building, demonstration of simple innovative ventilated storage construction using locally available materials, appropriate packaging (such as reusable plastic crates) and transport methods, and simple value addition methods (such as potato drying using indirect solar dryers and potato flour processing for fortifying local cereals). Key words: CAPI, Ethiopia, ordinal probit regression, postharvest practices, potato loss determinants

Controlling the stability and adhesion performance of cold-setting phenol–resorcinol–formaldehyde resin adhesives through methanol addition

Phenol–resorcinol–formaldehyde (PRF) resin adhesives are commonly used in the manufacture of laminated timber products, and they are cold-set at room temperature rather than hot-pressed to generate a three-dimensional polymer structure in the products. However, their excellent reactivity often leads to poor storage stability and a short pot life. This study examines the influence of methanol addition on the stability and adhesion performance of PRF resins. These resins were synthesized by various levels of methanol addition (5 %, 10 %, and 15 %), and their structures were investigated using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies. Furthermore, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to analyze their thermal behavior, and their cure kinetics were analyzed with two isoconversional analyses: Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS) and Vyazovkin (VYZ) method. The adhesion performances of PRF resins were evaluated for glue-laminated timber (GLT). The results demonstrated that the viscosity and solids content of PRF resins decreased while their gelation time increased as the methanol addition level increased. Methanol addition has also improved the resin stability over time. The chemical structure of PRF resins did not change considerably with an increase in the methanol level. However, methanol interaction with formalin in a hardener presumably hindered the reactivity of PRF resins. This was supported with an increase in the apparent activation energy of the curing process of PRF resins as the methanol level increased. In addition, decreasing the methanol levels from 15 % to 5 % enhanced the adhesion performance of GLT bonded with PRF resins. The results indicated that adding methanol to PRF resins improved its stability while simultaneously weakened its performance. However, 5 % methanol level is recommended for PRF resins.